Final Project Draft

Proposal: 

Good morning everyone,

As we all know, Cherry Creek High School has traditionally held our students to a very high standard. Being one of the top schools in Colorado, we have very high expectations for all of our students. That being said, it is critical that we continue to engage our students. Each year students complain about their summer reading assignments and every year, we try to figure out how to make it more interesting while still teaching valuable life lessons. Reading is not only an incredibly important life skill, but it’s also a method of learning. This is why Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr are two perfect novels to add to the summer reading list for the 2017-2018 school year. Yes, these two novels present two completely different perspectives on World War II, however, they have many overlapping themes.

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is a book that should be read by everyone. This classic piece of literature is the personal diary of Anne Frank as she walks us through her experience while seeking shelter during World War II. Anne Frank’s life is severely altered as a result of World War II. We are able to see how this hardship changes her as a person, allows her, how lonely she was at certain times, and how she was living in a pool of fear for years.

In addition to this, All the Light We Cannot See is also an incredibly touching story that has the potential to have a large impact on a high school audience. This story begins during World War II. The story focuses on two individuals: Marie-Laure, a 16-year-old girl who has been blind since the age of 6, and Werner, an 18-year-old boy that is soon recruited into the German army. Contrasting positions on the war and life-altering circumstances bring these two together during a time of desperate need. Although it was not published until 2014, it exhibits the qualities and will undoubtedly become a “classic” piece of literature. It’s already made quite a mark in the literary world; it’s won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Australian National Book Award, it’s a number one New York Times bestseller, and was awarded for best Historical Fiction by Goodreads. Aside from all these awards, it’s a book that touches the reader in ways that other books simply cannot. Both of these stories allow the reader to reflect on historical events, the present world that we are living in, and learn many valuable life lessons. Classic pieces of literature tend to possess qualities which make them timeless, create a discussion, include literary tradition, and have an impact on a large audience. I can confidently argue that both of these books contain all of those qualities.

According to the Common Core, there are quite a few tasks that students should be able to master after high school literature. First, students should be able to recognize themes and central ideas within a text. Going beyond that, they should then be able to analyze this text in detail and determine how these themes are developed throughout the book. These books have numerous critical rhetorical concepts and themes present throughout the entirety of their text. Students would be able to determine how certain prominent themes emerge throughout the text, and how these themes affect the overall meaning and story that’s presented.

 Second, students should be able to analyze how characters develop over the course of a story. This includes their interactions (or non-interactions in the case of Anne Frank) with other characters and how these interactions shape them as a person. This is a very relevant theme throughout these stories. The relationship that develops between Marie-Laure and Werner is critical to the plot in All the Light We Cannot See. On the other hand, Anne Frank’s loneliness and hiding is a major theme in her diary and allows us to get a true feel for what was experienced during World War II.

 Lastly, students should be able to analyze particular views or cultural experiences that are reflected in certain works of literature, especially those which are outside of the United States. It’s incredibly important for students to have a historical perspective on the world around us that is not limited to the United States. These stories give us two incredibly unique perspective on World War II. World War II marked a turning point in history and was one of the most destructive wars in our history. This war affected millions of people and many different nations. In fact, over fifty million people were killed worldwide as a result of this. Diary of a Young Girl takes place in Amsterdam whereas All the Light We Cannot See starts in Paris. We are therefore able to see how large and vast the effects of this war was. It’s incredibly important that students are informed about the history of this World War II and what it was like to live through it, no matter what country you were in. Each country and each person experienced their own version of hardships.

Diary of a Young Girl and All the Light We Cannot See are both incredibly powerful reminders that World War II was in fact real and people suffered through tremendous horrors. However, there was so much strength in everyone’s battle and it’s important that we acknowledge and remember that. Through reading these novels, we are able to recognize the tragedy of war, hardships, maturity, loss, lies, how small actions can have a large impact on us, and how perseverance is incredibly important.

Class Flyer/Poster:

Reflection: 

Reflecting on writing is arguable one of the easiest/one of the hardest parts about writing. Each writer has different thoughts that are constantly crossing their mind and each writer's approach to writing is drastically different than the next. As I sit and write this reflection, I have my headphones in, my coffee next to me, and no distractions. I'm completely immersed in my own world and I'm completely separated from the rest of the world. I'm not on social media, I'm not texting, and I'm not talking to my friends. I'm simply soaking in my surroundings and letting the words flow onto my computer. 
Writing is such a fascinating topic. As we have learned, writing has progressed significantly in the last century. Writing is life. We are all writing constantly, whether that means a text message, an email, or a paper. Writing has evolved and we are living in a world where we are lucky enough to have the ability to write throughout the entirety of the day. 
Yes, some are going to argue that this transition into the digital age is having a negative effect on our written and oral culture. However, some are going to argue that it is incredibly beneficial to my generation. There are endless different perspectives on the complexity of writing and how we define it. One thing remains constant though: writing is not only a way of life, but a gift. It's the ability to express, communicate, create, and reflect. It's a tool that we too often take advantage of. 
As we all write papers, do research, and send text messages, we are each making our own mark in history. We are all taking part of something that is much larger than ourselves and we are all connected by this idea of writing, whether we realize it or not.